


Plum blossoms

by amako



Series: Dead leaves and Withered Flowers [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Courting Rituals, F/M, Fixing Kishi's mess, Fluff and Humor, Meta, Tsume and Hiashi are laughing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-07 20:51:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14679255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amako/pseuds/amako
Summary: At the time, the wedding of Aburame Shibi is the most scandalous event in the history of Konoha.





	Plum blossoms

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Siadea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siadea/gifts).



At the time, the wedding of Aburame Shibi is the most scandalous event in the history of Konoha. Tsume is still laughing her ass off at the slightest reminder and Hiashi has taken to avoiding the subject with everything he has. He's too dignified to break out laughing in the middle of the conversation and has become an expert at denying that it even happened.

Because, shocker! Shibi's wife is neither Aburame-born nor his sons' mother. And that, in the closed circle of Konoha's noble clans, is absolutely unacceptable.

(the sound you're hearing right now is Tsume chocking up on air in the corner where she's been since we started mentioning the wedding again)

As it is, the only disastrous event on par with it is Chōza's own wedding ceremony, and it was entirely to blame on the combined actions of his two best friends and an entirely inappropriate Mist nin invasion as Chōza and Tsubomi were exchanging vows. As previously established, tap water has never tasted the same ever since.

(it's a story for another day, though, because Hiashi can only take this much before he starts wheezing with laughter too)

Shibi's wife, as it is, almost made the Aburame Council cry when he introduced her to them. It is still a fond memory for him and he has a hard time understanding how his councilmen don't remember it the same way.

(Tsume, please, keep it down. Shino is asleep)

Kanbai comes from a small village at Iwa's border that was invaded times and times again. It's high in the mountains, where the grass doesn't grow anymore and the snow is there all year round. They survive with the greenhouse system they invented and the few goats running around in the village.

Her father weaves clothing for the villagers and her mother is a witch. That's what everyone calls her, when they're not shitting their pants and the mere idea of mentioning her name. Kanbai is one of the lumberjacks of the village, cutting down trees eight times as tall as she is and carrying them down with the other woodcutters to the border for trading.

Needless to say, Shibi is smitten.

He's passing through Umekawa because it's the shortest way to Earth Country if you're not afraid of a little climbing. He's in a hurry, wanting to get back to Shino as soon as he's able to. The boy is barely a month old and Shibi is terrified as the idea of anything happening to him. He's going so fast he doesn't realize the trunk he's aiming for as he jumps is actually falling. He looses his footing and goes down hard, a drop of seven metres ending on stones sharp enough to cut deeply into his forearm.

Shibi is already cursing as he gets up, putting pressure on the wound bleeding profusely, when a large shadow blocks the sun above him. He looks up. And up some more. The choking sound that escaped his mouth at that exact moment is something Kanbai now takes great pride in.

 

“You should get it fixed. It's bleeding all over your fancy trousers.”

 

Shibi blinks.

 

“We have a healer in the village, if you don't mind loosing a few ryō.”

 

Shibi blinks again and absolutely doesn't control what comes out of his mouth next.

 

“What is your opinion on ladybugs?”

The woman tilts her head, looking at him strangely. “They're useful in the greenhouses,” she shrugs. “They eat the parasites. They're pretty. Why?”

“Nothing, you're right, I should get this fixed. Where is this healer?”

“Lemme get the tree and I'll show you.”

 

The woman... does get the tree. With one arm. While holding an axe in the other. Shibi is doomed.

 

It turns out the healer is the woman's mother and completely traumatizing. She offers to give him a mercy kill before even considering treating his wound. Kanbai, as the woman is named, is laughing her ass off at Shibi's expression until her mother throws her out to take care of him.

Shibi comes out of the house feeling like he was punched by a bijū and high on some herb the old woman made him sniff. That's when Kanbai comes back to escort him out of the village. To this day, he's still slightly blaming the herbs for the absolute smitten expression he had on for the time it took to get him on the path back to Iwa. He realizes he should have instead gone to Konoha twelve hours into his trip and turns around.

Once he comes back from the hidden village, his first stop is in Umekawa and, once again, Kanbai is laughing at him, fully aware that she's the reason why he got lost in the first place.

Of course, because he's been on a team with _Hyūga Hiashi_ since he was twelve, Shibi finds it a very appropriate time to ask Kanbai permission to court her. He has a flare for dramatics, so sue him.

That does catch her off guard but once she realizes that he's very serious, Kanbai goes to her mother who threatens Shibi with sixteen kinds of bodily harm before agreeing to let her daughter go. Kanbai explains that tradition wants the person courted to go in the other's home, and it's the other's duty to convince the courted to stay.

Shibi might be a disaster when it comes to social situations, but Tsume and Kanbai hit it off immediately (and Shibi fears for the fate of his courting if they get along even more). Then Kanbai meets Torune, still learning to walk and floating in his lilac kimono gifted by Hiashi.

For the first time since he met her, she softens, trying to appear smaller despite her broad shoulders and strong arms. At which points Shibi introduce her to Shino, one-month old and smiling despite the bandages hiding his fragile eyes.

 

“What is wrong with him?” Kanbai asks, Torune balanced on her hip.

“Nothing, that's just to protect him. Aburame are born with eyes so pale we have to shield them from the light. Removing the bandages could blind him.”

 

Kanbai takes in the dark rooms of the Aburame Compound, which she had taken for a complete lack of style, and the sunglasses Shibi is wearing all the time. She looks at little Torune, blue eyes fading into the white around.

 

“Maybe I should stay a bit, yeah? What do you say, tree-crawler?”

 

Shibi smiles and presses Shino against his chest. The baby gives a little laugh and waves his small hand in Kanbai's direction. She doesn't know it yet, but she'll take on the Aburame Elders and ask her mother to curse them until they accept her as the Clan Head's wife. Then, and only then, does she ask Shibi to marry her.

(yes, Shibi did indeed choke on his mochi and ended up in the hospital)

(yes, Tsume, you can start breathing again now, the story is over)

 

**Author's Note:**

> As requested by Siadea on chapter 9 of Withered Flowers, more about Shibi's wife!
> 
> Kanbai means plum tree which blossoms in winter, early-flowering plum tree


End file.
